Cascade Horse Fair

Do you recognize him? How about the horse?

This would be Ken McNabb and his horse, Stormy. Ken is a friend of Curt...and Stormy was purchased from Curt. Ken will be here at the Cascade Horse Fair in October. So will Curt. I'm not so sure about Stormy.

It's count down time, to be sure. October 29-30 at the Northwest WA Fairgrounds in Lynden, WA is where the event is being hosted, same as last year. Vendors, demonstrations, clinicians. And, of course...the famous HydraBull cutting competition!

This is the second year we'll be doing our Rail to Trail event, where horses compete in Ranch Horse Pleasure, Trail and Reining. Top ten advance to the free style where anything (well...nearly) goes!

It's gonna be a lot of fun. But I need your help in spreading the word! We'll be having drawings for free bags of grain all weekend along with many other goodies and treats for both spectators and competitors. Help me out! Share this post either in your blog or on facebook, and I'll put you in the drawing for an 8x10 photo of 'The Old Man'! Drawing to be held on Thursday...so post and let me know so I can get your name in the drawing!

Goober's New Bit

^^ This is a Goober. ^^

It's been over a month since my less than graceful, acrobatic dismount to club dirt. Last week I began riding Kitty, just a couple of days, nice easy rides. This week, we picked up the slack a bit and worked the bull a few times. The back was certainly tired, but the real pain is in lifting and turning. You know...the motion you go through when cleaning a stall? So when a friend offers to help, I certainly do not turn them down, and send them straight to work, lifting and turning, while I do the more tedious job of saddling and riding...

It is too more tedious!

Anyway, prior to the fair I'd purchased a new Myler bit for Steve Holt!. I don't like the way he's been pulling through the snaffle and really ought to have changed it out some time back. Finally, yesterday, with the back feeling more capable of climbing on and riding, I got that new bit onto a headstall and climbed on the goober boy.

It was against my better judgment to ride while I was alone. But since when has better judgment come to visit when it ought to? Lucky for me, nothing bad happened, but I bet you started to wonder if I visited Club Dirt again, eh?

At first, Steve Holt! thought the bit felt funny. Actually, he wasn't too impressed for the entire ten minutes I was on him. But hey, I was! He didn't like the added pressure on his tongue, and that head that's always struggled to stay down where it needs to be? Dropped down. And it stayed down, loose rein. Well, sorta loose. Goober pony loose. No fighting or arguing, just put it down while jogging around the pen in an as close as he's ever gotten pleasure horse frame.

Impressive!

And that's the story of Goober Boy's (aka Steve Holt!'s) new bit.

Sorry. All I got. Nothin' more!

First Day of School

Darling is off to school today. My baby drives a car, and is a senior. How did this happen? Seems like only yesterday she still wanted to play dress up and wild ponies with me...